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An Early Look at SF's Future Muni Cars

According to sfmuniverse.com, the SFMTA Board of Directors will be voting on the purchase of new Metro light-rail trains at a meeting tomorrow. The Board is considering buying up to 260 Siemens S200 cars to replace the 150 cars the city has now. The SFMTA was originally planning to buy 175 cars, but Siemens prices have been less expensive than expected and they can now afford more.

The proposed differences between the new cars and the ones currently in use include longitudinal bench seats and relatively open interiors. The Siemens cars also have fewer moving parts and tend to be more reliable than other proposed models.

These three colored trains are all possible versions of the standard model that the SFMTA is considering purchasing. The final calls on the interior and exterior design will be made later and will involve public input. According to the SFMTA's presentation, the first cars will be delivered by the end of 2016 and manufactured 90 miles from San Francisco. Since people interact with Muni so frequently and in such an intimate way (Don't make it weird; commuting can be intimate.), I'm cautiously optimistic about tomorrow's vote and improvements on the horizon.